


One Big Happy Family — *Hakoda*

by HufflepuffChildOfApollo



Series: One Big Happy Family [8]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Everyone Needs A Hug, Gen, Hakoda (Avatar) is a Good Parent, Hakoda has a heart-to-heart with Zuko, Hakoda is Very Proud of his kids, He's not good at it but it works, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Ozai SUCKS he can kiss my ass tbh, Protective Sokka (Avatar), Protective Zuko (Avatar), Sokka and Zuko are Siblings, Toph Beifong and Zuko are Siblings, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko's Scar (Avatar), dadkoda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:08:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25277434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HufflepuffChildOfApollo/pseuds/HufflepuffChildOfApollo
Summary: Hakoda should not be having Parent Feelings for the grumpy Fire Prince. But he is. And there's really nothing he can do about it.
Relationships: Hakoda & Katara (Avatar), Hakoda & Sokka (Avatar), Hakoda & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: One Big Happy Family [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1799011
Comments: 50
Kudos: 1563





	One Big Happy Family — *Hakoda*

When Sokka told him the Firelord's son was at the Boiling Rock, the _last_ thing Hakoda expected was an awkward, grouchy _kid._ Particularly one with a nasty burn scar across half his face — he's seen burns, on his fellow warriors from Fire Nation soldiers. At home when someone got too close to the fire while cooking. He knows what burns look like when they're fresh, healing, or old — and that's an _old_ scar. And a big, deep one, like someone put a lit torch against his face and held it there.

Hakoda's heard a lot of rumors about where he got the scar, but he doesn't know if any of them are true. He doesn't _want_ to know.

What he does know is, the kid saved his ass, along with Sokka and the Kyoshi Warrior girl. Sokka and Hakoda's plan to escape on the prison gondola went a little off the rails — almost literally — but they all made it out in one piece.

Now they're far away from the prison, and the grouchy kid is still with them — and using his bending to cook the fish Hakoda and Sokka caught, and helping Katara and Aang find the wild tomato-carrots that grow in the woods on top of the cliffs, and allowing Toph to sneak into his sleeping bag at night. It's disconcerting.

Even more disconcerting is the closeness between the firebender and Sokka. Since the return from the Boiling Rock, they've seemed joined at the hip. If Zuko's not giving Aang firebending lessons, he's following Sokka to the courtyard to "Swordbend" (Sokka's genius terminology).

Zuko seems uneasy around Hakoda. Hakoda's fine with this, and figures it's normal; he's Water Tribe, and an adult. Hakoda was intimidated by adults in his teen years too. The way Zuko always sits between Sokka and Hakoda is...strange, but he doesn't give it much thought.

Until Sokka pulls him aside after dinner one night, and explains how it's actually very _not_ normal for Zuko, and that he's normally fine around adults.

Meaning that it's specifically Hakoda who is the problem — and Sokka's pretty sure he knows why.

In _completely_ unrelated news, Hakoda's determined that if Aang doesn't kill the Firelord, Hakoda will do it his _damn_ self.

[~]

Hakoda does his best to show the young firebender he's not a threat. He lets Zuko stand close by while he helps Katara cook, and the next time they need fish, instead of going off alone with Sokka, he invites Zuko along.

The firebender covers up both suspicion and surprise very quickly and very badly, before nodding and following them down the cliffside.

The fishing here is better than Hakoda would have expected, and as soon as Hakoda showed up Sokka had wasted no time showing him the best spots. Hakoda expects they'll have to lead Zuko there, and wait for him to catch up; instead he beats both of them to the best spot, and already has a hook baited at the end of a string by the time Sokka gets to the side of the stream.

It's only a few minutes before Zuko catches the first fish. Sokka smiles proudly, clapping Zuko on the back — just the way Hakoda does when Sokka makes a catch. Zuko tells him not to _do that,_ for what's apparently the _hundredth time —_ But, Tui's light, this kid's poker face _sucks,_ and even Hakoda's half-blind grandmother would be able to see the smile on the kid's face. The way he lights up at Sokka's praise reminds Hakoda, surprisingly, of Sokka himself.

The fish keep coming, and they make a game of it; whoever catches the least has to carry the basket. Hakoda, not used to the line method of fishing (as opposed to his whale tooth saber, which was confiscated before this imprisonment), comes in last, just behind Zuko. The firebender's a surprisingly good sport, congratulating Sokka on his win. He seems surprised when Hakoda does the same.

In the end, it takes all three of them to get the basket up the cliff, and once they're up, Sokka takes the fish off to a corner to gut them (away from Aang, who gets sad if you gut fish around him. Hakoda learned this the hard way). Zuko follows, and Hakoda can hear them talking and Sokka laughing up until Katara announces it's Zuko's turn to make dinner; Hakoda notices only half the fish actually get gutted in that time.

[~]

Zuko seems to realize Hakoda's not a threat; but he still tenses up (once he even _flinches)_ when Hakoda gets close to Sokka or Katara.

Something has to be done — Hakoda's Parent Instincts are _yelling_ at him, and he refuses to have a kid _afraid_ of him, or feeling unsafe around him — or feeling like his _children_ are unsafe around him.

He takes Zuko aside one day, while Sokka's busy helping Aang clean Appa's toes, and asks him for help with the hammock he's weaving from vines. The kid shrugs, and follows him to where the vines are piled in the corner. Hakoda tasks him with untangling the vines while Hakoda weaves.

"Why would you want a hammock?" Zuko asks curiously a few minutes in, glancing up.

"I'm used to the movement while I sleep. I've been sailing for two years, so at this point it's harder to stay still."

The kid nods and continues his task. After a few minutes of silence, he speaks again. "When I went back to the Fire Nation, I was so used to having a mattress on the floor that I had trouble sleeping in my actual bed."

Hakoda's heard stories of the Prince's banishment — only rumors, really — but he's never heard Zuko talk about it himself. "Really?" he says. "I guess the arrangements now are pretty comfortable, huh?"

Zuko chuckles dryly. "Yeah, until Toph's digging her elbows into your sides," he says.

"She is fierce," Hakoda agrees. They settle into silence again, working at a comfortable pace. Then finally Hakoda breaks it again.

"Listen, Zuko...I know you might have had...bad experiences, in the past."

Hakoda looks up, and he can see the moment Zuko's shoulders tense, and though he doesn't stop his work, his hands move a lot more clumsily, his head tilted slightly to listen.

"But I want you to know that I would never harm one of my children, or anyone else's," Hakoda continues.

There's a sharp intake of breath. "Sir— I—" Zuko glances up, his unburnt eye wide and nervous. "I didn't mean to offend you."

Hakoda winces. He doesn't like the way the kid says it — like he expects a punishment, and is trying to get out of it.

"I'm not offended, Zuko. I just want to let you know that you don't have to be afraid for them around me." Hakoda tries for a friendly smile — he's been told he's good at those. "But I'm glad you care for them."

Zuko relaxes marginally. "You're not offended?" he breathes disbelievingly.

"Trust is something that has to be earned — I'm sure you know. I haven't been here long. I'd expect wariness from anyone."

"But I wasn't afraid for _myself_ — I was intruding on family matters, that aren't any of my business." The kid seems completely perplexed that Hakoda's _not_ mad at him. Hakoda takes a deep breath, looking the kid in the eye.

"If what I've heard is true, I don't blame you for intruding, or being suspicious. Even about family matters. I know that even one bad experience can paint a whole group in a bad light." _Boy, do I know,_ he thinks, looking at the _firebender_ sitting across from him.

Zuko still doesn't relax all the way, but he looks less scared. He seems lost for words before finally stammering out, "Yes, sir?"

Hakoda nods, and looks at the coil of vines on the floor. "That looks like enough," he says — he's not going to keep the kid here if he's uncomfortable. The kid takes the offer for what it is, and stands up, hurrying away. Hakoda sighs, _hoping_ he handled that well — he doesn't know what he'll do if he didn't. 

[~]

The kid seems...fine. He doesn't tense up anymore when Hakoda's close to his kids. He still tags along on fishing trips when Sokka invites him (because Sokka is not above using wolf-puppy eyes to get what he wants, and Zuko is ), and he still watches while Hakoda and Katara cook, but it's with a relaxed posture and a curious expression. Hakoda can tell he's just observing, not guarding anymore. 

Then the kid's sister shows up in an airship. They're forced to evacuate, and Toph and Haru have dug an escape tunnel out — but then Zuko runs back, _towards_ his crazy sister. 

Hakoda's pretty sure both he and Sokka are going to have a heart attack or something. 

_Then_ his _kids_ decide to stay behind to help Zuko. He really admires their bravery, and it's not like he can stop them — _someone_ has to help Zuko, but Hakoda can't drive a bison — but he was pretend he isn't worried, or sad that after they just found each other they're being separated again. 

But his place is with Haru, and Teo, and The Duke, and Chit Sang. So he goes down the tunnel. 

Hakoda's not a spiritual man, but he whispers a prayer to the spirits anyway. For all the kids to make it out safe.

[~]

Hakoda is _so. Proud._ Of his kids. Sokka taking out an airship fleet — Katara defeating possibly the most powerful firebender alive — 

And the other kids. Suki. Toph. Aang. Zuko _._ They've all accomplished so, so much. 

But at the same time it's unfair — these _kids_ should be playing games and adopting questionably safe pets and staying up too late reading trashy scrolls — not winning a war they shouldn't even be _fighting_. Zuko shouldn't _have_ to rule a country before he's ready. Aang shouldn't have to determine the fate of the universe and fight a fully-fledged firebender. Katara shouldn't have to know how to heal a lightning wound. Suki shouldn't have had to be trained from eight years old to fight — and maybe that's cultural tradition, but she shouldn't need to use it. Toph — well, he's pretty sure if there wasn't a war, Toph would create one for fun, so he's not _too_ worried about her. Sokka shouldn't _have_ to lead an army in an invasion of the most powerful nation.

None of them should have to do any of it. That's supposed to be the adults' job. 

Three days after Zuko's coronation, while they're still waiting for Sokka's leg to heal enough that he can travel, Zuko approaches Hakoda. He's tense, and Hakoda can see him mentally running through a script. 

"Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe," he begins, uncharacteristically formal, and bows deeply. "On behalf of myself and all of the Fire Nation, I wish to formally apologize for my forefathers' crimes against your nation. I also wish to apologize for the unnecessary damage done to your village by my own ship —" _Okay, didn't know about that,_ Hakoda thinks. _That's gonna be a long talk later._ "— and I will strive to make up for it in any way possible." 

He straightens, looking Hakoda in the eye. Hakoda's unsure how to respond, unused to so much diplomacy in one sentence. 

"Your apology is accepted," he finally says, "though perhaps the former half would be better directed toward the other chiefs as well." 

Zuko's good eye widens in surprise. "Other chiefs?" he asks, dropping the formality. 

_Tui's light, he doesn't know?_ "Yes. The Southern Water Tribe is comprised of multiple smaller tribes and villages. Each of these has its own leader — I'm simply one of many," Hakoda explains. 

"Oh." Zuko's face starts to turn red with embarrassment. "I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. From what I've heard there's not a lot of education about the other nations here." Hakoda smiles, trying to let the kid know he's not being snobby. "I can give you a list of all the villages affected by the war —" _all of them_ "— and when I return to my tribe I can deliver your formal letter of apology personally." 

"You don't have to do that — I can send a messenger hawk," Zuko says. 

Hakoda shakes his head. "A messenger hawk wouldn't survive that long in the ice. I'll be headed back before too long anyway, so it'll save time if I do it."

Zuko nods his head slightly. "Okay. Thank you."

Hakoda smiles. "No problem, son." 

He means it in the same way he'd say "kid" — it's just that "kid" always sounds condescending when he says it, whereas "son" sounds a lot more natural (probably because he's used to saying it to Sokka). But it's then Hakoda realizes that, in a way, he does think of Zuko as part of the family. Maybe not quite a son — more like a close nephew. 

Well, Sokka will be happy to hear that, at least. Katara too, probably. The kid needs some good family (though from what Hakoda's heard, the kid's actual uncle is pretty decent). Hakoda's pretty sure that, if they could, his kids would just drag all their friends to the South Pole to live with them.

Zuko smiles back. They go back into the infirmary, where the others are all sat while Katara works on Sokka's leg with her water healing. Aang runs up to Zuko, excitedly telling him about a new firebending trick he learned, and Toph drags Zuko over to his bed, grousing about how his _heart's still not beating regularly_ , and he _**has** to stay in **bed** , how many times do I have to **tell** you, Sparky?_

Hakoda sits down by Sokka's bed, and Sokka excitedly continues the story he was telling before Zuko pulled him aside, and wow, he should _never_ leave his kids unsupervised again, because challenging a waterbending master to an ice fight over his sexism is the exact kind of thing he should have expected from Katara. Granted, he is _very_ proud of her — the Northern Tribe always were ridiculously old-fashioned, so it's good that someone finally called them out. good

He just wishes his kids had safer hobbies, that's all. Especially when Sokka launches into a story about how he learned swordfighting from a Fire Nation master. 

Well, he supposes they have to grow up sometime. _And_ , he muses when Katara flings a handful of water at Sokka's face, _I don't think they're quite done yet._

**Author's Note:**

> This series really is a bunch of people getting in line to kill Ozai, huh?


End file.
